Fighting with Shotgun

It has a lot of tips and pictures. Recommended.

I have planned to use Hogue forend but when I have tested it on the shooting range it turned out that it is not a good idea to use Hogue forend and Knoxx stock. When shotgun moves backward after the shot Hogue forend moves together with your skin and it hurts. This happens because Hogue forend is overmolded and allows very good grip. It is fantastic but not with Knoxx stock.

So, I started to search for another short forend and have found police forend. I have tested it on the shooting range and it was great. It allows a good grip and can be used with Knoxx stock.

Here it is:

Remington 870 Police Forend

Actually, I don’t like that Knoxx stock has many limitations. It cannot be used with S&J and Vang safeties and now it is not comfortable to use it with Hogue forend. So, I may look for a different stock. If you have any advices, please leave a comment.

By the way, after numerous problems with Choate magazine extension I decided to replace it. And today I have received Nordic Components magazine extension and it looks like I have found the best extension possible! You will see review with photos later this week.

This receiver mount shotshell ammunition carrier is a high-quality product and looks and works great. I have chosen 6-round version and needed to install a shorter forend. Sureshell Ammunition Carrier will not work with standard forends.

Mesa Tactical Sureshell Shotshell Ammunition Carrier 12-Gauge Remington 870

System Concept
It holds shells securely thanks to the elastomer tube. Here is system concept description from Mesa Tactical:

Sureshell System Concept

What I like about the Sureshell is that it is attached to the receiver more securely (using 4 special screws), it is made of metal not plastic. Another thing is that it doesn’t cover shotgun serial number which may be useful in some cases. But elastomer tube has a disadvantage. It is not recommended to store shells in carrier for a long time.

After testing it on the shooting range I have found it very useful and convenient. Highly recommended for home-defense and competitive shooting.

TacStar SideSaddle is a cheaper alternative which I have successfully used for about one year.

Please leave a comment if you have experience with TacStar or Mesa Tactical products.

Tacstar Side Saddle

I had a review of the TacStar 4-Round SideSaddle about a year ago. Now it is time for some tips. First of all it is a very good product and helped me a lot in competitions. But there are two important things you should know about it:
1. Do not overtighten the screws which attach SideSaddle to receiver. One of my friends have broken his SideSaddle this way.
2. Check 4 small screws often. I have lost two of them somewhere on the shooting range:

TacStar SideSaddle

By the way, I have received, installed and tested Mesa Tactical SureShell 6-Round Carrier for Remington 870 and will have a review about it tomorrow.

Remington 870 Shotgun Cleaning Mat

It has a history of the Remington 870 shotgun and description of all parts.

Let’s see information about the shootouts where shotguns were used: North Hollywood shootout and 1986 FBI Miami shootout.

Brief description of the North Hollywood shootout (from Wikipedia):

The North Hollywood shootout was an armed confrontation between two heavily armed bank robbers and officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles on February 28, 1997.

Local patrol officers at the time were typically armed with 9 mm or .38 Special pistols on their person, with some having a 12-gauge shotgun available in their cars. Phillips and Matasareanu carried fully automatic rifles, with ammunition capable of penetrating police body armor, and wore military grade body armor of their own.

The patrol officers were armed with standard Beretta 92-type 9-mm pistols and .38-caliber revolvers, and some also carried 12-gauge pump-action shotguns, but the body armor worn by Phillips and Matasareanu was strong enough to resist penetration.

The robbers were protected by body armor which could not be penetrated by the officers’ handgun and shotgun ammunition.

The ineffectiveness of the pistol rounds and shotgun pellets in penetrating the robbers’ body armor led to a trend in the United States toward arming selected police patrol officers with semi-automatic 5.56 mm AR-15 type rifles.

As you can see from the video, policeman used his 12 gauge shotgun from the distance of about 50 yards (he was behind the kiosk). Policeman saw that shotgun pellets hit the robber but had no effect. Robber returned fire.

So it is not a very good idea to use a shotgun (birdshot and buckshot) against the enemy with body armor. Especially on a long distance (20-50 yards). Slugs are more effective on such distances. But remember that shotgun is a Close Quarters Battle weapon. Shotgun is one of the most effective short range weapons and it is extremely good for a home defense use.

Brief description of the 1986 FBI Miami shootout (from Wikipedia):

The FBI Miami shootout was a gun battle that occurred on 11 April 1986 in Miami, Florida between eight Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and two serial bank robbers.

The incident is infamous in FBI history and is well-studied in law enforcement circles. Despite outnumbering the suspects 4 to 1, the agents found themselves pinned down by rifle fire and unable to respond effectively. Although both Matix and Platt were hit multiple times during the firefight, Platt fought on regardless and continued to injure and kill the officers. This incident led to the introduction of more powerful handguns in many police departments around the country.

Unfortunately, FBI agents didn’t have enough weapons. Only two of the FBI vehicles contained shotguns. Also, it turns out that shotgun pellets are not very effective against enemy inside the car. Another important thing to know is that it was difficult for the FBI agent to reload his shotgun able to use only one arm.

Do you know any other shootouts where shotguns were used? Please leave a comment.

As you know Scott Dew from CDM Gear and Simon Beeson from S&J Hardware have already sent me their products for review and answered questions from readers of the Rem870.com blog.

Today, I want to tell you about another interesting upgrade for Remington 870 shotgun: LoadMaster Systems. Joe Masten will send me one for tests soon and I will be able to write a review about this new tactical/sport upgrade for Remington 870.

Meanwhile, you can check the Loadmaster Systems website:
http://www.loadmastersystems.com/

This system looks interesting and I can’t wait to test it:

LoadMaster Systems Shell Holder for Remington 870

LoadMaster Systems for Remington 870

I was very busy at work and didn’t have time to update blog regularly. But now I have more free time and will have new interesting articles published soon.

If you have any photos, tips or reviews please send them to me and I will publish them.

All the best,
Vitaly.